National Food Plan focuses on exports to Asia

The Government will spend $28.5 million on researching Asian food markets as part of the National Food Plan, launched on Saturday at Rocklea Markets in Brisbane by Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig.

The Plan has a range of smaller funding packages and studies, including $5.6 million in supporting agricultural industries to represent their sectors in Asia, $2 million to develop a trusted Australian-made brand, and $1.5 million for a Community Food Grants program to help communities connect with food.

Within the 16-point plan is a study identifying "What Asia Wants" in food needs and preferences, and the long-term risks and opportunities for exporting.

A Productivity Commission review starting next year will look at cutting red tape in food manufacturing.

Senator Ludwig says the Food Plan will help grow exports to the Asian middle class, which will increase to three billion people by 2030.

"If you look at some of our best horticultural producers at the moment, some of the growers have niche markets, high value, low volumes going into them. We need to multiply that many-fold to get those opportunities into those markets," he said.

"And this is about finding small opportunities, seed funding to give them the opportunities to expand into those markets."

A new Australian Council on Food will be established. It will take representatives from all the current agriculture and food bodies "to engage with industry and community leaders on food."

"There is a broad range of representative bodies, the National Farmers Federation, their state bodies, and the Councils that exist across agriculture," Senator Ludwig said.

"What we don't have is the focus that the Council can bring..... all of that energy to bear in one simple Council."